This was our first visit to CHC. We have been so pleased with all the talented and compassionate personnel. My husband L became very ill suddenly, so we came to the ED and were sent home. To our surprise, we received an urgent call the next day, advising us that his blood cultures were positive, and we needed to return ASAP for a potentially life or death blood infection. As you can imagine, our concerns were heightened given this diagnosis and admission to a hospital we know little about as we are from Maryland.
L was moved to a room and the night nurse was Cathy Bittner. Cathy is amazing! From the first time we met her, we knew she was special. She brings an upbeat and energetic approach to everything she does. She also instills strong confidence for both the patient and the patient's family. I opted to stay with L at night and saw Cathy in action - consistently checking in and making sure we clearly understood every step and medication. She kept both L and me comfortable.
On Wednesday, based on my knowledge of Cathy's care and attentiveness, I opted to go home and sleep. L has Parkinson's and had a very restless night. On two occasions, he got out of bed in a delirious state, not knowing where he was. Cathy cleaned him up, got him back into bed and calmed down, allowing him to rest again.
At my husband's request, Cathy called me at 1:30 am, left a message, then called 10 minutes later. I was exhausted and did not know whether to come in or sleep. Cathy reassured me that L was fine and had experienced confusion and that she was watching him carefully. She reminded me of the importance to get rest and take care of myself. My confidence in Cathy allowed me to stay home and get rest with full knowledge that he was in exceptional hands. What a blessing Cathy is! She made an emotionally and physically challenging situation better for both of us. Thanks, Cathy.